Notes and Editorial Reviews

This production has already received gleaming reviews. “Valery Gergiev is a born Prokofiev interpreter.” (The Guardian) “Raw, thrilling, and utterly engrossing, with strong performances. Viktor Lutsyuk has everything required for the part- the right voice, plenty of panache and lots of presence.” (The Moscow Times) In 2016, the musical world will celebrate the 125th anniversary of Sergei Prokofiev’s birth. Valery Gergiev, one of the world’s leading authorities on Prokofiev interpretation, is joined by a brilliant cast of soloists to celebrate the Russian genius with a world-first DVD & Blu-ray release of his opera, Semyon Kotko. This production was directed by the award-winning stage director Yuri Alexandrov, and filmed by MariinskyRead more director Anna Matison, who has filmed operas by Rimsky Korsakov, Shchedrin, and Berlioz. This particular staging originated in 1999, and has won two prestigious awards- the Costa Diva and the Golden Mask. Ukranian tenor Viktor Lutsyuk has received worldwide applause for his portrayal of Semyon. “Viktor Lutsyuk sang with bright-eyed enthusiasm as the model hero Semyon, and Tatiana Pavlovskaya was in captivating form as Sofia…” (The New York Times) Read less